Races

I believe a diverse selection of races offers players the opportunity to explore new social roles. The races presented here are those most commonly found in Xotamen, which is by no means a comprehensive list. To adequately represent the exotic variety of playable races, I am also allowing players to create entirely new races. Just as with Backstory, I expect new races to be well thought out; any new race requires a cultural identity and biological form that sparks the imagination yet doesn’t provoke our suspension of disbelief. All races that are thinly veiled attempts to break the game are, of course, forbidden.

Example: “They’re just like humans, but with six arms.” This is clearly an attempt to create a character that dominates combat encounters, since they could attack with six weapons in the same round that all other races can only attack with two. Six swords devastates in melee, but the prospect of six pistols or six offensive wands would surely overthrow any threat. Also, what do they call themselves? What’s their history or culture? How does having six arms change the daily lives of your typical six-armed humanoid?

That being said, I’m always willing to help you develop or modify new racial concepts.

Contents

The most prolific of the playable races, humanity has spread to every corner of the world. Although the global majority, their numerous ancestries, cultures, and factions keep them from uniting under a common banner. It was they that eventually created the Bred and the Crafted.

Human Traits

Ability Scores: Increase two different ability scores of your choice by 1.

Size: Medium

Speed: 30 ft.

Jack of Some Trades: You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.

Bonus Feat: You gain one feat of your choice. You must meet its requirements.

Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice.

Dwarves feel more at home within their claimed mountains or deep mines, but some turn to adventuring and strike out into the world. They are slow to trust other races, but their loyalty is stronger than steel and worth more than gold.

Dwarven Traits

Ability Scores: Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Size: Medium

Speed: 25 ft. Your base speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.

Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were monochromatic dim light.

Resilience: You have advantage on saving throws against poison and alcohol, and you have resistance against poison damage.

Combat Training: You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer.

Stonecunning: Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and you double your proficiency bonus on that check.

Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish.

Subrace: Choose one of the following subraces.

HILLDWARF

Ability Scores: Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Toughness: Your hit point maximum increases by 1 for every level you have.

Whether deep in the primordial forests or at the head of a circle of powerful spellcasters, elves are forces to be reckoned with.

Elven Traits

Ability Scores: Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Size: Medium

Speed: 30 ft.

Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were monochromatic dim light.

Keen Senses: You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Fey Ancestry: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic cannot put you to sleep.

Trance: Instead of sleeping, you meditate deeply in a semiconsious way for 4 hours to gain the benefits of 8 hours of sleep.

Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish.

Subrace: Choose one of the following subraces.

HIGHELF

Ability Scores: Your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Weapon Training: You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.

Cantrip: You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.

Extra Language: You can speak, read, and write one additional language of your choice.

WOODELF

Ability Scores: Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Weapon Training: You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.

Fleet of Foot: Increase your base walking speed to 35 ft.

Mark of the Wild: You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.

ELADRIN

Ability Scores: Your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Weapon Training: You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.

Fey Step: You can cast the misty step spell once per short or long rest.

Mark of the Wild: You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.

DARKELF (DROW)

Ability Scores: Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Superior Darkvision: The radius of your darkvision extends to 120 ft.

Sunlight Sensitivity: You have disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

Drow Magic: You know the dancing lights cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the faerie fire spell once before a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the darkness spell once before a long rest.

Weapon Training: You have proficiency with rapiers, shortswords, and hand crossbows.

Halflings can be great drinking companions, festive jesters, or silent rogues depending on their disposition. Most families are nomadic and travel a circuit of villages and hamlets throughout the years, whether to celebrate or to steal.

Halfling Traits

Ability Scores: Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Size: Small

Speed: 25 ft.

Lucky: When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new result.

Brave: You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Nimble: You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.

Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Halfling.

Subrace: Choose one of the following subraces.

LIGHTFOOT

Ability Scores: Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Stealthy: You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.

STOUT

Ability Scores: Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Stout Resilience: You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

Most Gnomes live in close-knit communities, either within the wilderness or deep within an urban center. They project an enthusiasm for life in everything they do. Although half the size, a common phrase suggests their hearts are twice the other race’s.

Gnome Traits

Ability Scores: Your Intelligence score increases by 2.

Size: Small

Speed: 25 ft.

Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were monochromatic dim light.

Cunning: You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.

Tinker: You have proficiency with artisan’s tools (tinker’s tools). Using those tools, you can spend 1 hour and 10 gp worth of materials to construct a Tiny clockwork device from the following options: Clockwork Toy, Fire Starter, or Music Box. Please see the Player’s Handbook for more information.

Natives to the Akrish mountains, these brawny humanoids form tribal colonies in the harshest of climates. They mostly keep to themselves and their traditions, but rarely allow outsiders in to trade and bring news of the rest of the world.

Often incorrectly viewed as the results of orcish raids and rapes, Half-Orcs are simply the result of the increasing population of Orcs that turn to civilized life. These two parts of a new and unique warrior culture are still generally feared by the common population.

Folklore suggests it was a union between humans and animals that gave birth to the first Breeded. Reputable historians instead credit some powerful ancient ritual, but cannot agree on who invented or performed it. Regardless, Bred are humanoid-animal hybrids that mix the traits of both donors.

Dragonborn: A Dragonborn will always claim to be a descendant of dragons, but historians will claim that they were created by a dragon worshiping cult. In either case, these reptilian humanoids are proud and potent beings that lead the learned to not push the issue.Creator:Unknown
* Ability Scores: Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Charisma increases by 1.
* Size: Medium
* Speed: 30 ft.
* Draconic Influence: Choose a type of dragon from the table below to determine your breath weapon and damage resistance.

Dragon

Damage Resist

Breath Weapon

Black

Acid

5 by 30ft. line (Dex save)

Blue

Lightning

5 by 30ft. line (Dex save)

Brass

Fire

5 by 30ft. line (Dex save)

Bronze

Lightning

5 by 30ft. line (Dex save)

Copper

Acid

5 by 30ft. line (Dex save)

Gold

Fire

15 ft. cone (Dex save)

Green

Poison

15 ft. cone (Dex save)

Red

Fire

15 ft. cone (Dex save)

Silver

Cold

15 ft. cone (Dex save)

White

Cold

15 ft. cone (Dex save)

Breath Weapon: You can use your action to use your breath weapon once per short or long rest. Enemies in the area must make a DC 8 + Constitution modifier + proficiency bonus save. Failed saves cause 2d6 damage and half damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level.

Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic.

Cataur: The dangerous mountains surrounding the Heartlands are home to few creatures, with none more cunning and tenacious than the Cataur. With the body of a snow leopard and a humanoid upper torso, these cousins to the Centaur are trained from birth to explore the cold wildereness or serve as loyal bodyguards.Creator:Inverella Moonpath
* Ability Scores: Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
* Size: Medium
* Speed: 30 ft.
* Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were monochromatic dim light.
* Feline Grace: When you make a standing or running long or high jump, you can use your Dexterity score, instead of your Strength.
* Mountain Home: You gain proficiency in Athletics.
* Thick Coat: You have advantage on Constitution saving throws made to endure extreme cold, and have resistance to cold damage.
* Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and an extra language of your choice.

Lizardfolk: Resembling small, thick-scaled dinosaurs, Lizardfolk are one of the least mutated Breeded on the market. As such, numerous aesthetic differences mark various attempts to perfect the marsh hunter, with no single species more popular than another. Many mages claim to have created the first Lizardfolk, but this has become a running joke among the established Breeded creators.Creator:Unknown
* Ability Scores: Your Constitution score increases by 2.
* Size: Medium
* Speed: 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
* Scale Armor: Your base AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. Wearing armor doesn’t reduce your base AC.
* Hold Breath: You can hold your breath for 15 minutes.
* Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic.

Changeling: Doppelgangers and consummate infiltrators and assassins, but follow their own twisted agenda. Changelings were initially created to act on behalf of power hungry mages, but quickly escaped captivity and filtered out into the world.Creator: Gussack the Bold
* Ability Scores: Your Dexterity and Charisma scores both increase by 1.
* Size: Medium
* Speed: 30 ft.
* Duplicity: You gain proficiency in the Deception skill.
* Shapechanger: As an action, you can polymorph into any humanoid of your size that you have seen, or back into your true form. However, your equipment does not change with you. If you die, you revert to your normal appearance.
* Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and two extra languages of your choice.

Also referred to as Artificial Humanoids, Crafted are animate matter given sentience. They are creatures of complicated scientific design with replaceable parts surrounding a single powered torso, created originally for endless manual labor.

Living Construct: Even though you were constructed, you are a living creature. You are immune to disease. You do not need to eat or breathe, but you can ingest food and drink if you wish. Instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings.

Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice.

Recent events have lead to the discovery of a more peaceful species of intelligent undead, hidden in the darkest depths of Xotamen. Many have banded together into a loose society beneath the ocean, while others hide at the fringes of established civilizations. However, the living have yet to let go of ancient prejudices and usually run or attack on sight.

Ability Score: Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Size: Medium

Speed: 30 ft.

Undead Fortitude: You are immune to poison damage, cannot be poisoned, and are immune to disease. You do not need to eat or breathe, but you can ingest food and drink if you wish. Instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings.

Languages: You can speak, read, and write the languages you knew in life.

Whereas the Tieflings are a result of a terrible pact made with demonic powers, the Aasimar are the result of celestials falling in love with notable mortals. These divine children champion for good under the watchful gaze of the divine.

Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were monochromatic dim light.

Celestial Resistance: You have resistance to necrotic and radiant damage.

Celestial Legacy: You know the light cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the lesser restoration spell as a 2nd level spell once per long rest. Once you reach 5th level, you can cast the daylight spell as a 3rd level spell once per long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

A dark pact long ago created the first Tieflings, and they have been haunted by their demonic heritage ever since. Without a cultural center of their own, they wander the land in search of personal enrichment, personal riches, or personal glory.

Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were monochromatic dim light.

Hellish Resistance: You have resistance to fire damage.

Infernal Legacy: You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the hellish rebuke spell as a 2nd level spell once per long rest. Once you reach 5th level, you can cast the darkness spell as a 3rd level spell once per long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Genasi are the incredibly rare offspring of humanoids from the Material Plane and creatures from the Elemental planes. They are obviously elemental in some fashion, so it is difficult for them to live a normal life in Xotamen.

Genasi Traits

Ability Scores: Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Size: Medium

Speed: 30 ft.

Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial.

Subrace: Choose one of the following subraces.

AIRGENASI

Ability Scores: Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Unending Breath: You can hold your breath indefinitely while you’re not incapacitated.

Mingle with the Wind: You can cast the levitate spell once per long rest. Constitution is your spellcating ability for this spell.

EARTHGENASI

Ability Scores: Your Strength score increases by 1.

Earth Walk: You can move across difficult terrain made of earth or stone without expending extra movement.

Merge with Stone: You can cast the pass without trace spell once per long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

FIREGENASI

Ability Scores: Your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. Your ties to the Elemental Plane of Fire make your darkvision unusual: everything you see in darkness is in a shade of red.

Fire Resistance: You have resistance to fire damage.

Reach to the Blaze: You know the produce flame cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the burning hands spell once per long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

WATERGENASI

Ability Scores: Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Acid Resistance: You have resistance to acid damage.

Amphibious: You can breathe air and water.

Swim: You have a swimming speed of 30 ft.

Call to the Wave: You know the shape water cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the create or destroy water spell as a 2nd level spell once per long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.